Picture: for illustration purposes
The ongoing Senzo Meyiwa murder case in the Pretoria High Court witnessed a dramatic turn of events as State witness Constable Sizwe Zungu utilised Section 203 of the Criminal Procedure Act to sidestep potential self-incrimination throughout his testimony on Tuesday. This legal provision allows witnesses to refuse to answer questions that could be personally incriminating.
The accused men, allegedly spotted by Zungu at the Vosloorus hostel on the night of the murder, stand trial for the 2014 murder of well-known footballer Senzo Meyiwa, who was shot at his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo's home.
While the defence spent Tuesday endeavouring to undermine Zungu's credibility – particularly highlighting his failure to promptly report what he purportedly observed on the murder night – it was his repeated evocation of his right not to incriminate himself that added a new twist to the trial.
Zungu, a police officer, only disclosed his knowledge of the events five years after the murder, further admitting that he withheld some key details from his cluster commander; such as seeing guns being exchanged by the accused. Zungu justifies his reluctance, citing it was a way for him to encourage the police to conduct their own independent investigation.